Fulton County voters prefer incumbents

Wednesday

Mar 19, 2014 at 12:22 AMMar 19, 2014 at 12:26 AM

LEWISTOWN — The primary races Tuesday favored the incumbents in Fulton County — one by a wide margin while the other proved to be much closer.

Victoria J. Harper, 58, of Vermont was re-elected county treasurer in a landslide over Canton Alderman Justin Nelson, 32. Both Democrats, Harper garnered 2,193 votes, or 64.6 percent, while Nelson notched 1,204 votes, or 35.4 percent, of the total vote. No Republicans filed to run for the position in the heavily Democratic county.

Harper, who has been county treasurer since 1994, thought her experience gave her an advantage and expressed her wish to continue to see Fulton County climb out of the hard economic times its endured since 2008. Prior to Tuesday’s election, she said she doesn’t plan anything extravagant for election nights and usually spends them picking up her political signs.

Nelson, who has a background in finances, will continue serving as a Canton Ward 3 alderman.

In the only other contested primary in the county, two incumbents took two of the three open seats for County Board District 3. Craig Medus and John Taylor, both incumbents from Canton, were the top vote-getters. Taylor received 691 votes, or 28.4 percent, while Medus received 648 votes, or 26.7 percent.

Glen Hamm of St. David edged out Jason Myetich, also of St. David, for the final seat by just 22 votes. Hamm received 557 votes, or 22.9 percent, as Myetich garnered 535 votes in his favor, or 22 percent.

Thomas Bruch can be reached at 686-3188 or tbruch@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @ThomasBruch.